he yet borrowed something from each, which he combined with a delicacy and an amenity that he had learned from neither. He himself, in all probability, would have rested his fame on his three chief metrical efforts, The Traveller, The Hermit, and The Deserted Village. But,
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as is often the case, he is remembered even more favourably by some of those delightful familiar verses, unprinted during his lifetime, which he threw off with no other ambition than the desire to amuse his friends. Retaliation, The Haunch of Venison, the Letter in Prose and Verse to Mrs. Bunbury, all afford noteworthy exemplification of that playful touch and wayward fancy which constitute the chief attraction of this species of poetry. In his imitations of Swift and Prior, and his variations upon French suggestions, his personal note is scarcely so apparent; but the two Elegies and some of the minor pieces retain a deserved reputation. His ingenious prologues and epilogues also serve to illustrate the range and versatility of his talent. As a rule, the arrangement in the present edition is chronological; but it has not been thought necessary to depart from the practice which gives a time- honoured precedence to The Traveller and The Deserted Village. The true sequence of the poems, in their order of publication, is, however, exactly indicated in the table which follows this Introduction.
Contents Chronology Notes
Poetical Works of Goldsmith / Contents / Introduction /
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CHRONOLOGY OF GOLDSMITH'S LIFE AND POEMS.
| 1728 | November 10. Born at Pallas, near Ballymahon, in the county of Longford, Ireland. |
| 1730 | Family remove to Lissoy, in the county of Westmeath. |
| 1731 | Under Elizabeth Delap. |
| 1734 | Under Mr. Thomas Byrne of the village school. |
| 1736–44 | At school at Elphin (Mr. Griffin's), Athlone (Mr. Campbell's), Edgeworthstown (Mr. Hughes's). |
| 1744 | June 11. Admitted a sizar of Trinity College, Dublin, 'annum agens 15.' |
| 1747 | Death of his father, the Rev. Charles Goldsmith. May. Takes part in a college riot. June 15. Obtains a Smythe exhibition. Runs away from college. |
| 1749 | February 27. Takes his degree as Bachelor of Arts. |
| 1751 | Rejected for orders by the Bishop of Elphin. Tutor to Mr. Flinn. Sets out for America (via Cork), but returns. Letter to Mrs. Goldsmith (his mother). |
| 1752 | Starts as a law student, but loses his all at play. Goes to Edinburgh to become a medical student. |
| 1753 | January 13. Admitted a member of the 'Medical Society' of Edinburgh. May 8. Letter to his Uncle Contarine. September 26. Letter to Robert Bryanton. Letter to his Uncle Contarine. |
| 1754 | Goes to Leyden. Letter to his Uncle Contarine. |
| 1755 | February. Leaves Leyden. Takes degree of Bachelor of Medicine at Louvain (?). Travels on foot in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Sketches The Traveller. |
| 1756 | February 1. Returns to Dover. Low comedian; usher (?); apothecary's journeyman; poor physician in Bankside, Southwark. |
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| 1757 | Press corrector to Samuel Richardson, printer and novelist; assistant at Peckham Academy (Dr. Milner's). April. Bound over to Griffiths the bookseller. Quarrels with Griffiths. December 27. Letter to his brother-in-law, Daniel Hodson. |
| 1758 | February. Publishes The Memoirs of a Protestant, condemned to the Galleys of France for his Religion. Gives up literature and returns to Peckham. August. Leaves Peckham. Letters to Edward Mills, Bryanton, Mrs. Jane Lawder. Appointed surgeon and physician to a factory on the Coast of Coromandel. November (?). Letter to Hodson. Moves into 12 Green Arbour Court, Old Bailey. Coromandel appointment comes to nothing. December 21. Rejected at Surgeons' Hall as 'not qualified' for a hospital mate. |
| 1759 | February (?). Letter to Henry Goldsmith. March. Visited by Percy at 12 Green Arbour Court. April 2. Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe published. 'Prologue of Laberius' (Enquiry). October 6. The Bee commenced. 'On a Beautiful Youth struck blind with Lightning' (Bee). October 13. 'The Gift' (Bee). October 18. 'The Logicians Refuted' (Busy Body). October 20. 'A Sonnet' (Bee). October 22. 'Stanzas on the Taking of Quebec' (Busy Body). October 27. 'Elegy on Mrs. Mary Blaize' (Bee). November 24. The Bee closed. |
| 1760 | January 1. The British Magazine commenced. January 12. The Public Ledger commenced. January 24. First Chinese Letter published (Citizen of the World). May 2. 'Description of an Author's Bedchamber' ('Chinese Letter' in Public Ledger). October 21. 'On seeing Mrs … perform,' etc. ('Chinese Letter' in Public Ledger). Editing Lady's Magazine. Compiling Prefaces. Moves into 6 Wine Office Court, Fleet Street. |
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| 1761 | March 4. 'On the Death of the Right Hon. … ('Chinese Letter' in Public Ledger). April 4–14. 'An Epigram'; to G. C. and R. L. ('Chinese Letter in Public Ledger). May 13. 'Translation of a South American Ode.' ('Chinese Letter' in Public Ledger) August 14. Last Chinese Letter published (Citizen of the World). Memoirs of M. de Voltaire published in Lady's Magazine. |
| 1762 | February 23. Pamphlet on Cock Lane Ghost published. February 26. History of Mecklenburgh published. May 1. Citizen of the World published. May 1 to Nov. 1. Plutarch's Lives, vol. i to vii, published. At Bath and Tunbridge. October 14. Life of Richard Nash published. October 28. Sells third share of Vicar of Wakefield to B. Collins, printer, Salisbury. At Mrs. Fleming's at Islington. |
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